Oath
by ariririsu
Summary: Riku is Riku. He always keeps his promises, Kairi reminds him. (Sora thinks about him while he's gone.)


**Summary:** Riku is Riku. He always keeps his promises, Kairi reminds him.

 **Author's Notes:** A tiny indulgent story written at 4 am about Sora and the possible ending of KHIII.

Here's to hoping Nomura doesn't actually do what I keep having nightmares about: Riku leaving the trio.

* * *

Going back to Destiny Islands was more or less a shocking experience. Nothing really changed during his long travel of saving the worlds.

The sun barely peeking over the horizon gives a nice gradient of light against the darkening sky, where the tiniest hint of stars have begun to appear. The sound of waves echoing louder due to the approach of a high tide provides a soothing background noise, while a consistent breeze of wind keeps him feeling refreshed from the earlier summer heat. The illumination of the water surrounding the main island from the lights within people's houses creates a beautiful effect that can be mistaken for a painting.

It's all the things Sora remembers and has cherished all his life, and for once, he's content that Destiny Islands is the way it is, even if he wanted to explore beyond its tiny bubble back then.

Sora understands it's a good thing, but returning home still doesn't stop a tiny part of him from feeling out of place. After all, he supposed he was the one who changed the most.

"Are you even paying attention, Sora?"

Kairi's teasing voice snaps him out of a daze. Sora blinks at her in befuddlement before his expression settles into an apologetic look. He chuckles, scratching at the back of his neck.

"Sorry, Kairi!" He grins at the girl when she raises an eyebrow. Yeah, he's not really sorry. She smacks him on the arm, to which he dramatically whines at, and they get into a short bout of tousling. Suddenly, he's reminded that he isn't the only one who changed too.

Kairi, who returned home with him to the islands, learnt how to wield keyblades and gained significant physical and magical strength as a result of being trained by Yen Sid. It surprised Sora to know how determined she was to learn, to fight. All he knows is that it wasn't because she wanted to prove herself to someone else; she wanted to be strong enough to protect herself and others.

At her final shove, Sora slips off the trunk of the paopu tree and falls on his back. You'd think that sand is soft, but it really isn't when you land on it, Sora thinks. He hears Kairi laughing merrily, and he can't help but laugh with her.

She's become a lot like Riku, he realises. They both changed. It's a good kind of change, but their strength is similar in which they want to utilise their new abilities and powers to protect the people they love.

He remains laying on the ground, watching as the sky gradually darkens and the stars become more prominent. He faintly recognises Kairi speaking to him again, but his mind keeps wandering off to yesterday's events.

Riku stands in front of him with a smile, so soft and, dare he says it, so sweet that it makes his heart ache. "Of course I'll see you again, Sora," he says, and Sora's even more annoyed because his stupid smile keeps growing wider. He's dumb and he's an idiot and Sora just wants him to stop looking at him that way because his chest feels weird. His hand tightly clings onto the other's wrist.

"You better make it a promise."

"I promise."

Then, Riku leaves. He's already hugged Kairi and the others goodbye, but Sora looks at his retreating back, a flash of light from his huge keyblade, and then the sparkling sand lightened from the brightness of the sun is all that's there. He's gone, but he's not really gone because he's Riku and he always keeps his promises.

Sora feels Kairi lay next to him, silently staring at the night sky. He wonders how long it's been since he fell from the paopu tree. Kairi sighs and extends a hand to the air, reaching for something that's not there. His hand moves to the crown shaped metal on his chest, cradling it gently with his fingers.

"I miss him already," she whispers.

Sora hums in agreement.

Riku leaving for the sake of protecting the worlds isn't surprising news. A keyblade master has to do his duties after all, but just like Kairi, he isn't very happy about it. He just knew how to hide it better than she did. It's kind of unfair, really, but at the same time, he understands. He understands more than anyone else, but he also knows how it's like to feel the pressure of people depending on you and he can't help but worry about Riku. It might not even be a long time before Riku comes back home, to him and Kairi. But, he also wants to be there with Riku because he needs to be able to feel and see that the other is still there.

Sora thinks it's a little silly, but Kairi's already told him that it was reasonable and understandable. They've been through so many things together after all. This is just another hurdle that you both will have to jump over, she said right before they parted to their respective families. And it is, Sora thinks.

Kairi is suddenly shaking his arm, pointing at the stars. "Sora, look! A meteor shower!" She says breathlessly, her pretty blue eyes stuck watching the stars. She looks younger with her short hair still ruffled. Sora observes her and his hand fully closes around the metal crown.

"What if a shooting star hits the islands?"

Sora stares at the stars, reminiscing the last time he saw a meteor shower.

"If a shooting star comes this way, I'll protect you!"

His grip on the necklace tightens.

It's been a long time since they made that promise, but they've got a better one to make up for it. They all changed to make their words come true, but it's always been more comforting and familiar when Riku's the one following through it all and succeeding. Time helped him regain the strength to protect what matters to him. Sora knows who he's talking about. Riku doesn't pretend otherwise.

Sora looks at the sky again, seeing a bright one streak across the sky, and somehow he knows Riku's looking at the same one. He doesn't notice Kairi looking at him with fond, fond eyes, instead copies the achingly sweet smile Riku gave him the day he left and directs it at the sky, hoping that wherever Riku is at, he'd know that Sora will always be thinking of him. The cold metal on his chest serves as a daily reminder of their oath to each other, that they'd always find one another no matter how long time takes to separate them.

When Kairi starts stroking his unruly hair, he is finally at ease because her words give him the final push needed for him to be convinced.

"He'll be back before you know it, Sor."

Sora only smiles, somehow knowing that Riku's also smiling somewhere out there too.

"I know, Kai. I know."

* * *

 **A/N:** I think Riku gave Sora his crown necklace. You can't change my mind.


End file.
